Category: Amnesty International

People fighting the oppression of immigrants in the United States know the face of Joe Arpaio. He is a sheriff from Maricopa County in Arizona where he is known for encouraging the plight of immigrants. Among the oppressions that he has been accused of include encouraging rape, turning a blind eye on child molestation and abuse of immigrants. He even speaks on national TV where he openly opposes immigration reforms in the country.

Some few years back, he was involved in an altercation with prominent journalists within the state where he ordered their arrest for writing about him.

After their release, the two decided to go after the sheriff in a court of law. The case has been in court for over 10 years as it was filed on 18th October 2007. After listening to all sides, a grand jury decided to award the two $3.75 as settlement money.

The two had been detained without a warrant from their homes. They had been accused of revealing grand jury proceedings involving the sheriff. Some of their readers who had accessed the material were also detained. The sheriff demanded that the two journalists identify the citizens who had accessed their newsfeed.

The two decided that they will dedicate the money to the Lacey and Larkin Frontera Fund. This is an organization that supports civil actions, freedom of expression and migrants rights in the state of Arizona. The case was ruled by the United States Court of Appeal for the ninth circuit. The court also ruled that the sheriff had violated the first amendment.

Also, Lacey and Larkin focus on seeking justice for the people who feel that they have been oppressed. Its existence is credited to a lawyer called Peter Benenson following the publication of an article called the Forgotten Prisoners. Its roots date back in the year 1962.

Due to their commitment to ending human torture and standing for people’s rights, the organization has won the Nobel Peace Prize on numerous occasions. They won the prize in the year 1977 and 1978. Their headquarters are found in London, United Kingdom. To ensure that they are not a puppet of any government, the organization does not receive donations from institutions affiliated to any government.

Most of their donations come from their members and associated fees. Among its greatest funders are the Rockerfeller Foundation, the European Commission, United Kingdom Department for International Development as well as the United States State Development.